Ohio Natural Areas & Preserves Association

Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Control of Invasive Herbaceous Species at Brinkhaven Oak Barrens

10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Township Road 13, Brinkhaven (Gann)
Holmes County

Brinkhaven Oak Barrens was designated as a state natural landmark in 2005 for being the best example in north central Ohio of what famous Ohio ecologist, Paul Sears called “oak openings.” The 114-acre preserve owned by the private non-profit organization, Killbuck Watershed Land Trust, protects two oak barrens containing six state-listed plants, including the threatened thyme-leaved pinweed. ONAPA has been assisting the KWLT with habitat management to restore the two oak openings which are accessible by permit only. We will be removing garlic mustard, Dame's rocket and Japanese stiltgrass.

Directions: From Brinkhaven (Gann) on U.S. Rt. 62, drive about 4 ¼ miles east on U.S. Route 62 to Holmes Co. Rd. 25. Drive about ¾ mile north to an intersection and turn left (west) on to Township Road 13. Drive for about
1.2 miles and the parking lot will be on the right. The
parking lot is about 500 feet beyond the old railroad

overpass, on the right (it is hard to see as it is a grass parking lot with no signage).

What to bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking boots, gloves, and insect repellent.

RSVP: If you would like to attend, please REGISTER. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE . Online registration is important for our planning.

Purple Wood Sedge - (ODNR Photo)

Tuesday, June 9, at 10 am
Learn more about sedges

Andrew Lane Gibson, ODNR DNAP botanist/ecologist will lead this field trip that will examine how to identify some familiar sedges. The location - to be determined - will be in southcentral Ohio.

Registration REQUIRED - participation is limited to 25 - email [email protected].

Saturday, June 13, 10 am
Tour of Brown's Lake Bog SNP

ONAPA founding member Guy L. Denny - author of Peatlands of Ohio and the Southern Great Lakes Region - will be exploring part of this 100-acre National Natural Landmark, featuring a rare kettle hole lake with a floating sphagnum moss mat. The preserve is known for its unique boreal life.

Registration REQUIRED - participation is limited to 10 - email [email protected].

Brown's Lake Bog SNP

The Gray Petaltail Dragonfly-An Ohio Living Fossil

Story and photo by John Watts

Many naturalists have their “natural history annual calendar” where they search for certain species each year as an annual tradition. For some it starts in late January, searching your local wet seep for that first Skunk Cabbage bloom or the first Spring Peeper during warm late February and early March. For me, in early June after completing early morning bird surveys I like to check a few locations for dragonflies. One species I enjoy finding is the Gray Petaltail which I have been able to find consistently at the intersection of the Creekside Meadows and Hemlock Trails at Clear Creek Metro Park and State Nature Preserve in Hocking County. This 3-inch long dragonfly is unmistakable when encountered. Its pattern of gray and black is unique among Ohio’s dragonflies as it is our only

black and gray species. I most often find it near a wooded stream or creek, although it may also be found near wooded fens, seeps, and forested wet areas often those containing skunk cabbage (McShaffrey, Spring, and McCormac, 2024) . This particular dragonfly belongs to a primitive family of dragonflies, the Petaluridae, that closely resembles its ancestral dragonflies present in the fossil record dating back to between 150 and 200 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. This was a common and widespread group of dragonflies during that time. Today 11 species of Petaluridae still occur worldwide.

The Gray Petaltail ranges over much of eastern United States except the Florida peninsula. In Ohio, it has a scattered distribution across much of the state containing high quality forested seeps, wetlands and wooded streams. It is largely absent from northwest Ohio. I generally find them perched flat against a tree or log as they scan for prey which may include other dragonflies or swallowtail butterflies. Gray Petaltails have an affinity for people. While leading a hike in Clear Creek several years ago, a Petaltail landed on the hat of one of folks in our group. While startling at first, it gave everyone a chance to see this unique species up close and personal.

References
McShaffrey, D., M. Spring, and J. McCormac. 2024. A Naturalist’s Guide to the Odonata of Ohio. Special Publication of the Ohio Biological Survey. viii+393 pp.
Rosche, Larry O., Judy M. Semroc and Linda K. Gilbert. 2008. Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeast Ohio. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. 300 pp.

Bonnett Pond Bog

W. Pearl King Savanna

For February, we were able to accomplish six projects, so it was a productive month:

February 4 - Bonnett Pond Bog - worked on the bog mat as the pond was frozen thanks to long-term frigid temperatures
February 11 - Daughmer Savanna
February 17 - Pearl King Savanna with Columbus Metro Parks - large group of almost 40 people, many staff and volunteers from Columbus Metro Parks
February 19 - North Kingsville Sand Barrens with Cleveland Museum of Natural History - cleared more trees and burned brush piles to open more units for prescribed burning in the spring
February 25 - Kitty Todd with The Nature Conservancy - worked on fire breaks for two burn units
February 26 - Wolf Run Regional Park with Knox Co Park District - cut and treated woody species in a grassland unit to be burned this spring

ONAPA is preparing to help several other partners with prescribed burns this spring including at Daughmer Savanna, North Kingsville Sand Barrens, Ashland County Park District, Knox County Park District, Crawford County Park District, and Richland CountyvPark District. These burns will be conducted in March and April. (Photos by Jennifer WIndus)

Bonnett Pond Bog

Only two projects to start 2026

Due to the holiday break, we did not start our stewardship projects until January 15 at Lakeside Daisy Preserve. We had a good turnout of 10 people on a snowy day and lots

of cedars were removed. At the second project - Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area - we removed woody species from one of the prairie fringed orchid sites. Brinkhaven Barrens, cancelled January 28 because of snow depth, was rescheduled for February 12.

April stewardship: prescribed burns added to regular projects

April was a busy month for ONAPA stewardship! Between eight prescribed burns and six stewardship projects, our volunteers and one stewardship assistant, Annalora were busy. Along with a team of partners, we accomplished eight prescribed burns at:

Crall Woods & Blackfork Bottoms Parks, Ashland Co. Park District
Daughmer Savanna & Salem Prairie, Crawford Co. Park District
Gorman Nature Center, Richland Co. Park District
Honey Run Highlands & Wolf Run Regional Parks, Knox Co. Park District
North Kingsville Sand Barrens, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Our stewardship projects were focused on garlic mustard control at Shallenberger Preserve, Brinkhaven Barrens, Christmas Rocks, Olsen Preserve, Knox Woods Preserve, and Salem Prairie. The stewardship project at Salem Prairie was after the prescribed burn and was an effort to cut and treat the woody species, primarily autumn-olive, in the burned part of the prairie. It will likely look spectacular this summer.

Attendees at ONAPA 12th Annual Meeting August 23 enjoy great weather at Alley Park

ONAPA held its 12th Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 23 at the Gosling Nature Center at Alley Park in Lancaster. Two guest speakers, Andrew Lane Gibson from the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves and Heather Stehle from Crane Hollow, Inc., shared their experience, often with a side of humor. Andrew took the audience on a trip around Lake Superior, highlighting the orchids of the region’s many habitats. Heather shared the legacy of Crane Hollow Preserve.

Guy Denny and Jennifer Windus also gave updates about ONAPA activities in the past year. It was a good turnout with 72 people attending. Two vendors selling nature-related items were available for attendees -- Savannah Freeman with Moonville Print Shop and Nora Steele. It was a beautiful day, perfect for the four field trips in the afternoon -- Crane Hollow, led by Heather Stehle and Jennifer Windus, Wahkeena Preserve, led by Tom Shisler, Rock House in Hocking Hills State Park, led by Tim Snyder, and a short hike around Alley Park, led by Dick Moseley.

Volunteer Stewardship

Stewardship Project Reports

Member Activities

2024 Event Highlights

Stewardship
Projects

We plan stewardship projects year-round throughout Ohio and we are always looking for volunteers. We will include a short field trip on each project to see some of the preserve where we are working.

2025 Member
Field Trips

Preserve
Monitoring

Field trips are scheduled from late spring into early fall. Most are easy walks through our state's Division of Natural Area's preserves. Watch the website and Facebook page for updates.

Any state nature preserve in your area can be visited and a report completed to help inform ONAPA and the preserve managers about the condition of the preserve.